Jeff Van Gundy is worried about level of play post lockout

Most of us are just worried about seeing NBA basketball again this season.

Jeff Van Gundy is worried about the quality of basketball we’ll see when (if) the season starts up.

Former coach and current ABC analyst Van Gundy said the league needs to make sure there is adequate time for training camps and hopes they do not to cram too many games in close together. Do that and the quality of basketball will suffer. He spoke to the New York Post about it.

“The fans deserve what they’re accustomed to seeing -- the best basketball in the world even if it costs the players and owners money,’’ Van Gundy said. “I’m hopeful the league learned from 1999 and doesn’t rush it and realize one more week of patience, one more week of camp would be beneficial to the fans. I’m hoping the league doesn’t rush teams into action. We have history to show some people reported in horrible shape.’’

(*cough*Shawn Kemp*cough)

“Reduced training camp, few practice days, basketball was very poor for much of the regular season,’’ Van Gundy said. “Once the playoffs began, it was more a normal schedule and a good product. But the regular season, fans paid top dollar for a very poor product.’’

Zach Lowe of Sports Illustrated took the words right out of my mouth on this one — Van Gundy is fighting the good fight, but is going to lose this battle.

It’s about money, just like the lockout. The more regular season games the more gate receipts for owners and the less television money they have to give back. So they are going to cram games in like people on a train in India. The game be damned. But then, this was never about the game, was it?